


Stuck with a phobia

by Pancaku92



Series: ABO one-shots [30]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Childhood Trauma, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drowning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear of Death, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Light Smut, M/M, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Ocean, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Panic Attacks, Phobias, Protectiveness, supportive boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:13:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29196654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pancaku92/pseuds/Pancaku92
Summary: Minghao has thalassophobia and, when he tries to face it, it only gets worse
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Everyone, Everyone/Everyone, Jeon Wonwoo/Everyone, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Everyone, Xu Ming Hao | The8/Everyone
Series: ABO one-shots [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808185
Comments: 18
Kudos: 56





	Stuck with a phobia

**Author's Note:**

> Commission: I'm not sure how intense you're willing to go, but maybe someone can't swim and the person has to get saved?
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: phobia, panic attack, drowning, mention of death, childhood trauma. If anyone is actually afraid of water/drowning, I highly recommend to NOT read this
> 
> Posting this now cause I've received this commission in august 2020 and forgot to save it on my notes as the dumb bitch I am -.-'  
> So sorry for the delay, hope you like it <3

Minghao hated water. Like, not the water you drink, of course that was fine and he knew that staying hydrated was fundamental for one's health.  
  
However, after a small childhood trauma where he had been pushed in the water by other kids during a field trip to the ocean, he had swore he never would've touched water outside of his bathtub.  
  
Since he had come to Korea, between his training, the debut, their career and the first pup, he hadn't really had a chance to get close to the ocean again. He had even managed to stay away from it when they had flown to Jeju, using some excuses to stay inside and read a good book.  
  
That, until Eunjoo's pediatrician suggested them to bring her to the sea to make her breath some sea breeze after a bad cold had left her lungs stressed and tired.  
  
The ocean air had benefic effects on people with breathing problems, so they all had agreed to get a pause from a stressful year and take a trip to the ocean in the summer.  
  
They hadn't had the chance to share a proper vacation with their daughter yet after all and she was already almost two years old.  
  
So they asked permission to the company, packed their bags and booked the first flight to Hyeopjae, to everyone's delight except for Minghao's.  
  
He definitely wasn't going to ruin their vacation by sharing his awful story or complaining, already knowing they would've become worried and protective over him, holding themselves back from fully enjoying their deserved rest.  
  
So he swallowed the pill and resigned to spend two weeks in a nice hotel or around the city.  
  
He should've known his mates wouldn't have allowed that.  
  
Right on the first day, in fact, Chan, Seungkwan, Soonyoung and Seokmin were already ecstatic, jumping around their mates and pointing at the blue expanse that was the ocean.  
  
Minghao smiled at their excitement, almost envying their energy while he felt nauseous at the mere idea of that much water.  
  
"You ok Hao? You seem a bit off" Wonwoo asked him, putting a hand on his shoulder when they were in the taxi that would've brought them to their hotel, Hansol already asleep on his hyung’s shoulder on the other side of the seat.  
  
"Oh? Oh yeah, just a bit tired from the flight" he answered, forcing himself to smile to his mate to reassure him.  
  
"Let's take a nap at the hotel ok? Jisoo must be tired too, let's leave the princess with the others and rest with him, what do you say?" The alpha suggested, referring to the omega that had held the pup for the whole time since their child wouldn't stop clinging to him that day.  
  
"Sound perfect"

* * *

After a nap in Wonwoo's arms, Minghao definitely felt better. The ocean didn't seem so scary when he had a loving boyfriend hugging him and a cute omega snuggled into his chest.  
  
They stayed in bed even after waking up, lazing around and just sharing kisses and caresses, only to have sex in the shower before dinner, Joshua taking both the alphas' cocks and letting them release inside him, only for them to then tenderly take care of him.  
  
At dinner, they found a good place at a Chinese restaurant, Minghao and Jun suggesting dishes for them to try and teaching Eunjoo some new Chinese words.  
  
It was good, amazing even, to be with his pack, his mates and daughter, all happy and without any stress weighting on their shoulders.  
  
Only a tiny note kind of ruined the atmosphere for Minghao: the perspective of an entire day at the ocean.  
  
His mates had decided to spend the next day on the beach, some of them already suggesting things they should do, such as a beach volley competition or go snorkeling, all excited to have some fun.  
  
For as much as he hated the idea, Minghao didn't want to be the gloomy one and, most importantly, he didn't want to waste the perfect chance to spend a relaxing day with his family. So he smiled through the pain and nodded when Jeonghan asked if everyone was okay with the plan.

* * *

The next day he woke up with a bit of an headache and some dark circles under his eyes. He hadn't slept well that night, always turning and tossing as memories of that incident played again in his mind, making his anxiety raise and not letting him have a peaceful slumber.  
  
However, waking up to Jun's grinning face and Seungkwan's head on his chest, helped him get through it and made him forget of the bad night he had.  
  
Together, the three of them had breakfast in bed, before getting ready for the day.  
  
Swim shorts, sunscreen, a nice book to read on the towels.  
  
They joined their mates in the hotel hall and waited for a disheveled Jihoon and a panting Seokmin to come down, the two fresh from a good fuck if their hair and the hickeys on their throats were anything to go by.  
  
Once at the beach, everything seemed perfect. The hotel provided their clients with a private area for themselves, allowing them to strip to their shorts without the fear of being seen and recognized as idols.  
  
Chan, Soonyoung and Seungkwan were the first to jump into the water, laughing and playing by splashing each other like little kids.  
  
The most responsible ones, on the other hand stayed for a bit more under the beach umbrella, taking care of Eunjoo by applying the sunscreen and making sure she was comfortable in her pink swimsuit.  
  
Once the pup seemed ready, Mingyu picked her up in his strong arms, the baby giggling as they got closer to the ocean, impressed by the size of it and by how much fun her appas seemed to have inside it.  
  
With every step the huge alpha took toward the water, Minghao's anxiety increased, his protective instinct telling him to run after him and snatch Eunjoo from his hold, keep her as far away from the sea as possible.  
  
He tried his best to control the need, but he couldn't help but tense more and more, his muscles hurting from how rigid they had become.  
  
Turned out, he had nothing to worry about. Mingyu were extremely careful and tender in slowly lowering himself and their daughter into the water, making sure she never left his arms and that she wasn't scared.  
  
He playfully splashed some water on her before letting her in, making her giggle that high pitched laughter every baby had, her dads melting at the cuteness.  
  
Right after coaxing her in the water, Mingyu gradually taught her how to float and move comfortably, a hand of his always supporting her and ready to catch her if she went under.  
  
Minghao observed the scene with big eyes, his fear slowly leaving place for a peaceful sensation. He was just so happy to see his mates and his pup having fun, he almost forgot about his trauma.  
  
So much, that, when Jun offered him to get in the water with him, he accepted.  
  
He thought that, if his mates were having so much fun, maybe he was picturing his memory as far worse than it actually was. Maybe he had made a bigger deal out of that experience than it actually was, so he wanted to challenge himself and make a second try to get along with the sea, especially if his mates were beside him.  
  
So he took off his shirt and took the hand Jun was offering him, reassured by the fact that his boyfriends knew that he couldn’t swim and wouldn’t have left him alone.  
  
Once they were on the limit of the beach, Minghao stopped for a second, took a deep breath and pushed those bad feelings in the back of his mind, courageously taking the first step into the ocean.  
  
This was fun. The fresh water engulfing his feet, the soft sand tickling his soles and the foam shattering on his shins. These feeling were enjoyable, not scary, so he took another step, and another one, until the water reached his waist.  
  
The cold sensation on his tummy made him giggle while Jun smiled at him, happy that his boyfriend was having so much fun.  
  
Minghao looked down to where his feet were starting to fade, hard to see under about a meter of water, and the sight made his anxiety rumble in his head, but he managed to push it back again.  
  
"Let's go a bit further. I want to teach you how to float" Jun prompted him and, although the prospective of proceeding into the water wasn't appealing to him, Minghao accepted.  
  
Learning at least how to float on his own was important and it would've probably helped him to get past his fears more quickly.  
  
Jun and Minghao proceeded for a few more meters, until they both could touch the ocean floor with their tippy toes, the depth forcing them to lean their head back a bit in order to keep their mouths out of the water.  
  
"Okay, from here on will be probably too deep for us to touch, so we can start practicing here" Jun said, smiling reassuringly at the other boy, whose anxiety was slowly increasing.  
  
"You just have to move your feel back and forth alternatively, as if you're walking on your tippy toes"  
  
Minghao nodded as best as he could, before focusing on his legs, raising his feet from the floor to try and move them as his mate had explained.  
  
He soon found himself floating a bit higher, his head now resting comfortably above the surface and his feet barely grazing the sand underneath.  
  
"That's perfect Hao, keep going" Jun encouraged him, doing the same movement himself.  
  
The smaller alpha was gaining more and more confidence in himself as he increased the velocity of his kicks and floated more comfortably.  
  
"Should we go a bit further, where we can't touch?" Jun suggested.  
  
That was literally Minghao's worse nightmare until few minutes before, but now, confident in his new-learnt skill, he accepted. It couldn't be so bad if they stayed in one place and moved their legs a little, right?  
  
So he nodded, allowing Jun to pull his slim body against his own and bring him a bit further, the older doing the work since Minghao couldn't swim.  
  
Once they were a couple of meters from their previous spot, Jun let the other alpha go, only holding his hands as they distanced.  
  
For just a second, Minghao felt like he was going under, his feet instinctively looking for a floor that wasn't there anymore, before he remembered what he had just done.  
  
He began to move his legs back and forth, the movement pushing him up, where his head could rest out of the water.  
  
Because of the initial fear, his breath was a bit ragged and his hands had automatically gripped Jun's tighter, but he managed to get accustomed to the feeling, his body relaxing in water's embrace.  
  
"It's not so bad" he breathed out.  
  
"I know right? I love it here, it's so peaceful" Jun answered, smiling to him.  
  
They stayed like that for some minutes, just floating and exchanging a few words, the older patiently waiting for Minghao to get used to this new world.  
  
"Let's do one more thing and then I'll bring you back to the beach" he proposed after some time.  
  
"I'll let go of your hands and you'll float on your own, ok?"  
  
Again, Minghao accepted.  
  
Jun slowly let go of his hands, still floating close to him, but not touching his body, and the other boy didn't falter in the slightest.  
  
He was in the middle of deep water with no one supporting him physically. Just thirty minutes before, he could've never believed that he was capable of such a thing.  
  
He smiled to himself, before something distracted him.  
  
Seungcheol was getting closer to them, swimming free-style in their direction.  
  
His presence distracted both Jun and Minghao, their heads turning to see their mate coming closer. It wouldn't have been a huge problem, if, in that exact same moment, a small wave pushed Minghao a bit further from Jun.

It wasn’t much, just a meter or so, but the chain of consequences it caused was terrible.

In the ten seconds Jun got distracted by Seungcheol, Minghao lost his comforting presence, anxiety once again using that weak spot to infiltrate in his heart. Just, this time, there was no security net, no bright side or warm hand on his body that could keep him anchored to his rational mind.

The dancer began to panic as soft waves pushed him further and further from his mates, but his voice was blocked in his throat and his mind began to go fuzzy and confused with distress. He soon forgot what his boyfriend had thought him about floating, his arms and legs now pushing and kicking in every direction in the vain hope to get closer to the other two alphas.

With his random movements and his scared state, it only took another small wave to push him under the surface, mouth gaping until he could and lungs already under stress from the physical effort and the beginning of a panic attack.

* * *

Jun quickly greeted Seungcheol, who stopped next to him and shared a salty kiss with him, before the both of them turned around to do the same thing with Minghao, only to not see the boy anymore.

“Hao? HAO?!” Seungcheol screamed, frantically looking around himself in search for his mate, utter fear gripping his heart as he couldn’t see him anywhere.

“H-he was there a second ago…HAO?” Jun began yelling too, sorting no response

“Fuck he’s underwater” Seungcheol cursed, diving in with no hesitation and opening his eyes.

Even with that blurry vision, he could see the shape of a body, his limbs moving randomly out of panic, no more than five meters from them.

He hurried in Minghao’s direction, reaching for him and pulling him against his own body, before swimming back up.

When they were both able to breath again, Minghao inhaled as much air as he could. The burnt in his lungs was atrocious, while his limbs felt cold and his mind was in absolute confusion.

He opened his mouth to breath in, but, as he kept on moving and thrashing, more salty water ended in his throat, making him cough and pant heavily.

“Hao, you’re up, you’re not there anymore, calm down please” Seungcheol said, trying to make the dancer stop squirm in his hold so that he could bring him to safety easier.

“O-out, pl-please out” the younger stuttered between a staggering breath and another, his traumatized mind only able to think of those words as he clung to the head alpha’s shoulders, his hands shaking and unable to get a good grip on him

“We have to bring him to the beach, he’ll never calm down as long as he’s in the water” Jun intervened, almost panicking on his own, tears forming in his eyes by seeing in how much pain his lover was in.

Seungcheol agreed and, since he couldn’t seem to penetrate into Minghao’s mind by just words, he maneuvered the slim boy so that the dancer’s back was against his chest, one of his strong arms wrapping around his torso and keeping him close by pressing his hand against the Minghao’s sternum, trying to ignore his kicks.

The position allowed him to swim on his back with an hand and keep his mate out of the water at the same time, while his frantic movements were limited.

Jun followed them, trying to say calming things to his lover as he swam.

His comforting presence and the fact that less water was coming into his mouth helped Minghao to calm down a little.

As soon as they were in a less deep area, where they could stand on the sand, Seungcheol changed his and Minghao’s position, pulling the smaller in this arms and keeping him close to his chest with an arm under his knees and the other around his back, the dancer clinging to his shoulders and burying his face in his neck in search of comfort.

The head alpha hurried out of the water as fast as he could, trying to be fast, but also careful to not fall back into the sea, knowing that would be the worst for his mate.

“WONWOO GET A TOWEL, HURRY” he yelled when he was some meters away from the beach, the rest of the pack beginning to feel something was off by how hurried and anxious both him and Jun looked and how terrified Minghao seemed to be.

Wonwoo, who was the nearest to the benches, scrambled to get a dry towel to wrap his trembling mate in, running toward his boyfriends while the others reached for them as well, all incredibly concerned and worried.

Only Mingyu and Seungkwan didn’t move, following the scene with apprehension, but staying with Eunjoo the whole time, trying to distract her form what was happening, afraid it might scare the pup too much.

“What happened?” Hansol asked when Seungcheol finally met with Wonwoo, the water now reaching their ankles.

“We got distracted a-and I lost sight of him and Hao went underwater f-for a bit” Jun tried to explain in tears, sobbing by how scared he still was, before Jeonghan pulled him in a hug, coaxing him to bury his face in his shoulders and cry everything out.

In the meantime, the head alpha carefully passed Minghao’s shaking body into Wonwoo’s hold, who was waiting for him with a fuzzy towel draped over his arms, the both of them wrapping the fabric around their mate to avoid a thermic shock.

Together the two alphas, followed by the pack, hurried back to their benches, Wonwoo pulling him in his lap so that he was half sitting up, making it easier for him to breath while the dancer’s eyes frantically moved in every direction and his legs still convulsed.

“It’s ok baby, it’s fine, you see? Take some slow breaths, we’re all good and you’re safe, I promise you’re safe” the older murmured into his hair, a hand of his drawing soothing circles on his mate’s covered tummy, while he pushed out his comforting scent.

* * *

There were lots of voices and things around Minghao, but the broken sound of his irregular berthing overpowered them all, his fuzzy mind not able to choose which one to focus on, still trapped in the blue, dark, suffocating realm that was the sea.

“Hao”

He knew that, that was his name, and he knew the face that pronounced that word, his sharp eyes and square jaw.

“Hao you’re safe”

No, that wasn’t right. Why was he lying to him? Why, out of all people, was Wonwoo lying to him? He wasn’t safe, he was dying, he was suffocating, he was seven again, dripping wet in his school uniform and scared to death while cold clung to his skin and shivers ran up and down his spine.

He was far from safe, he was far from his mates and their warm embrace, his boyfriend’s face was just an illusion, he-

“Hao please listen to us, please”

He knew this voice too. He was with him, just seconds ago, before he went under. This voice was the one who had held him the whole time, the one who was praising every step he took and the one who firmly believed he could overcome his fears.

“I’m sorry angel, I’m sorry I let you go, but please listen to us”

It was Jun.

Listen to us? How could he? There were too many things to listen to, his head turning frantically to locate the thing he had to focus on, until, slowly, everything lowered in volume, only a strong voice commanding to “Stay back, he needs space to breath”

From then, Wonwoo’s voice came back as the only sound and Minghao could slowly begin to feel his breath against his face, his arms around him, his hand stroking his side.

His focused back on his face, his eyes regaining some lucidity as he finally understood and listened to the world his lover kept on saying.

* * *

"Woo" Minghao feeble whispered, his eyes finally regaining focus as he looked up to the boy holding him, his vision now blurry only from his tears.  
  
"Shhh, it's alright baby, just breath, ok?"  
  
Minghao managed to nod.  
  
"Good, sweetheart, you're doing great. Just focus on me and follow my pace" Wonwoo continued, his hand raising to touch Minghao's chest to help him with the rhythm.  
  
Very slowly, the dancer's breathing slowed down, little by little, the raising and lowering of his rib cage evening out in a more normal pace, to his mate's great relief.  
  
"You're doing so good pup, you're amazing"  
  
Was all that fell from Wonwoo's lips, an endless string of soft praises and slow words, while the younger's eyes never left his.  
  
Giving Minghao a single thing to focus on had been his salvation. He was confused, scared and overwhelmed until he met Wonwoo's eyes, his calming voice and grounding touches delicately bringing him back from that dark place.  
  
It took almost an hour for the boy to come back to his normal state and, even then, he couldn't bear to look in the water's direction, clinging to Seungcheol’s or Wonwoo’s chest and hiding his face in their shoulders, asking for comfort.  
  
They all decided to head back to the hotel as soon as their mate was stable enough to walk and, for the alpha, to get back in his room was like a dream.  
  
He, Wonwoo, Jun and Seungcheol ended up cuddling on his bed as soon as everybody else was reassured Minghao was fine and could go back to their room to relax after the intense emotions of the day.  
  
However, the three alphas felt extremely protective over the younger one, refusing to leave him alone and holding him close to them.  
  
"I'm sorry Haohao, I should've never let you go, I'm so sorry" Jun murmured against his mate's nape, his arms around him tightening to keep him closer.  
  
"It's not your fault Junnie, you were teaching me and you made me enjoy the water for a while. I also should’ve told you about my childhood trauma, if you want to describe it like that. I guess I’m just not cut for this kind of activities, but thank you for helping me, really" Minghao answered, turning around and giving his back to Seungcheol, his hands coming up to cup his boyfriend's sad face.  
  
"B-but I didn't mean for this to go that way"  
  
"None of us did Junnie, but Hao's safe, that's what matters" the head alpha comforted him as well, his words soft and caring.  
  
Wonwoo hopped on the bed as well in that moment, after he had taken his shirt off so that he could spread his safe scent in the room, lying down next to Jun and pulling him against his chest, making him tuck his head under his chin and feel small, protected in his embrace.  
  
"Thank you for saving me, guys, really" Minghao murmured after a while, quiet and shy.  
  
"Don't thank us sweetheart, that's the bare minimum. We were all so scared, I'm so glad you're safe and sound" Seungcheol answered him, while, from Wonwoo's and Jun's smiles, the same emotions and message were conveyed, making Minghao tear up a bit.  
  
"Yeah, me too"

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not gonna say much today bc I have to go back to studying, but I hope you enjoyed this little thing I finished half an hour ago, hope it wasn't too intense.  
> I promise the next one won't be an angsty one lmao
> 
> As always, let me know what you think/if you have more requests for me <3  
> Stay safe and have a nice day/night
> 
> PS. For those who follow my main fic, my exam is on monday, so I'll probably update that day and not on the weekend, sorry T^T


End file.
